Growing international and national focus on quantitatively measuring and improving ocean health has increased the need for comprehensive, scientific, and repeated indicators to track progress towards achieving policy and societal goals. The Ocean Health Index (OHI) is one of the few indicators available for this purpose.

The Ocean Atlas illustrates the important role played by the seas and the global maritime ecosystems – not just for people living on the coasts but for all of us. The Atlas provides up-to-date insights into the state of the seas that form a basis of human livelihood and into the factors threatening them.